A scanner is programmed with the capability to send images via a parallel port and report data via a serial port to a remote device, both images and report data being identified by the same study identifier. In particular, the images are sent out an Ethernet port in DICOM format, while the report data is sent out an RS232 port in ASCII format. The scanner preferably includes memory storing a frame of image data belonging to a study and report data belonging to said study; a parallel port; a serial port; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: joining a study identifier with the frame of image data; sending the frame of image data and the study identifier in a first format out the parallel port; joining the study identifier with the report data; and sending the report data and the study identifier in a second format out the serial port.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A scanner comprising: memory that electronically stores a study identifier that identifies a study, a frame of image data belonging to said study and report data belonging to said study; a parallel port; a serial port; means for associating said study identifier with said frame of image data in a first format; means for sending said frame of image data with said associated study identifier in said first format out said parallel port; means for associating said study identifier and said report data in a second format different than said first format; and means for sending said report data and said study identifier in said second format out said serial port.
2. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , wherein said first format conforms to DICOM standards.
3. The scanner as recited in claim 2 , wherein study identifier comprises a DICOM study instance unique identifier.
4. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , wherein said second format is ASCII format.
5. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , wherein said parallel port comprises an Ethernet connection.
6. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , wherein said serial port comprises an RS232 interface.
7. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an image acquisition subsystem for acquiring said frame of image data, wherein said image acquisition subsystem comprises an array of ultrasound transducer elements.
8. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: a display monitor; means for displaying said frame of image data on said display monitor; means for measuring a feature in said displayed frame to acquire measurement data; and a user interface screen for displaying said measurement data on said display monitor, wherein said report data in said memory comprises said measurement data.
9. The scanner as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: a display monitor; a patient information user interface screen displayed on said display monitor and comprising fields for entering patient information and an activatable exit field for requesting exit from said patient information user interface screen; and means for constructing said study identifier based at least in part on patient information entered on said user interface screen in response to activation of said exit field and then storing said study identifier in said memory.
10. A scanner comprising: memory that electronically stores a study identifier that identifies a study, a frame of image data belonging to said study and report data belonging to said study; a parallel port; a serial port; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: associating said study identifier with said frame of image data in a first format; sending said frame of image data with said associated study identifier in said first format out said parallel port; associating said study identifier and said report data in a second format different than said first format; and sending said report data and said study identifier in said second format out said serial port.
11. The scanner as recited in claim 10 , wherein said first format conforms to DICOM standards and said second format is ASCII format.
12. The scanner as recited in claim 10 , wherein said parallel port comprises an Ethernet connection and said serial port comprises an RS232 interface.
13. The scanner as recited in claim 10 , further comprising an array of ultrasound transducer elements.
14. The scanner as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a user interface for entering report data and initiating transfer of said report data to said serial port, wherein said computer is further programmed to join said study identifier with said report data in response to initiation of transfer of said report data to said serial port.
15. A method for transmitting linked images and reports from a computerized system, comprising the steps of: electronically storing a study identifier that identifies a study, a frame of image data belonging to said study and report data belonging to said study; associating said study identifier with said frame of image data in a first format; sending said frame of image data and said study identifier in said first format out a parallel port of said computerized system in response to a first system user command input; associating said study identifier with report data in a second format different than said first format; and sending said report data and said study identifier in said second format out a serial port of said computerized system in response to a second system user command input.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein said first format conforms to DICOM standards.
17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein study identifier comprises a DICOM study instance unique identifier.
18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein said second format comprises ASCII format.
19. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein said parallel port comprises an Ethernet connection.
20. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein serial port comprises an RS232 interface.
21. A view station comprising: a display monitor; a user interface; a data port; memory; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: storing frames of image data in said memory, each frame having associated therewith a respective study identifier identifying the particular study to which said frame belongs; receiving report data via said data port; detecting report data having no study identifier associated therewith; searching said frames of image data for a frame having attributes associated with said image data which closely match attributes associated with said report data; generating a message on said display monitor requesting confirmation that said report data should be linked to said frame having said closely matching attributes; and associating said study identifier with said report data in response to receipt of a user input indicating confirmation via said operator interface.
22. A method for linking images and report data in a computerized system, comprising the steps of: storing frames of image data, each frame having associated therewith a respective study identifier identifying the particular study to which said frame belongs; receiving report data; detecting whether said received report data has no study identifier associated therewith; searching said frames of image data for a frame having attributes associated with said image data which closely match attributes associated with said report data; displaying a message requesting confirmation that said report data should be linked to said frame having said closely matching attributes; and associating said study identifier with said report data in response to receipt of confirmation.
23. A scanner comprising: an image acquisition system; a display monitor; an operator interface comprising movable input elements that are physical components and graphical user interface elements that are activatable only when displayed on said display monitor; memory for storing data; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: displaying a first graphical user interface screen on said display monitor in response to a first command inputted via said operator interface, said first graphical user interface screen comprising fillable fields for patient information and selectable-fields representing examination categories; exiting said first graphical user interface screen, recording the current date and time, and constructing a study identifier comprising said date, said time and a scanner identifier that identifies said scanner in response to a second command inputted via said operator interface; storing said study identifier in said memory; storing a frame of image data acquired by said image acquisition system in said memory in response to a third command inputted via said operator interface; retrieving said frame of image data and said study identifier from said memory and constructing a data object comprising said frame of image data and said study identifier in a first format in response to a fourth command inputted via said operator interface; displaying a second graphical user interface screen on said display monitor in response to a fifth command inputted via said operator interface, said second graphical user interface screen comprising fields filled with report data acquired during a study identified by said study identifier; and retrieving said study identifier from said memory and constructing a file comprising said study identifier and said report data in said filled fields in a second format different than said first format in response to a sixth command inputted via said operator interface.
24. The scanner as recited in claim 23 , wherein said computer is further programmed to perform the following steps: sending said data object to a first output port, addressed to a pre-designated remote device, in response to said fourth command; and sending said file to a second output port, addressed to said pre-designated remote device, in response to said sixth command.
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September 22, 2000
October 3, 2006
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